Explanations
Chapter 1
Diego was pondering what to tell while he was riding home from Devil's fortress. How could he explain everything that had happened? He had thought to tell his father that he had gotten lost; something his father would have easily accepted if it wasn't for the wedding band on his finger. And how could he explain it to Victoria when she realized she was married to her friend Diego?
Why was everything so complicated? The alcalde was dead, but he didn't know who would replace him. The next alcalde could be even worse than Ramone and it wasn't sensible to reveal Zorro's identity as long as there was a price on his head. No, he had to keep it a secret. But what should they tell everyone?
Victoria married Diego because her dying father wanted to see his daughter married? It was the truth, except that Diego hadn't made an appearance at Devil's Fortress and she had married Zorro and not Diego.
What could he say? How did he get into this mess? He had come to Devil's Fortress to help Victoria free her dying father. When Victoria and her brother had found him, he had been on the brink of death. Ramon and some men had carried Alfonso Escalante out of Devil's Fortress when they had escaped together with the other prisoners. Zorro had joined them when they had brought him to the small chapel next to the prison for the priest to give him the last rites.
Alfonso Escalante knew that he didn't have much time left and he had wanted to give his daughter to the man she loved. As his last request, he wanted to see his daughter married.
With Victoria's father about to die any minute, there hadn't been much time to think. There hadn't even been time to remove the mask. The priest had married them by Alfonso's deathbed just in time for him to give them his blessing.
Sergeant Mendoza and Victoria's brother Ramon had witnessed the ceremony and there was no way to keep it a secret. In exchange for a donation, the priest had offered them two marriage rings that had been left at the church from a canceled wedding and put them on their fingers after blessing them.
The soldiers from the fortress had taken some time to get organized again, after their commander had been incapacitated after the death of his daughter, but then they had gathered to recapture the escaped prisoners again. Victoria had urged Zorro to leave before the soldiers arrived at the chapel and captured him too. Giving his wife a quick kiss, he had left on Toronado to change back into Diego again.
And here he was now on his way back to Los Angeles. He was married, but his wife didn't know his identity. He was an outlaw with a price on his head who couldn't reveal himself without endangering his family and his new wife. What was he going to do now?
A/N: The beginning of my new story. I started writing this a few months ago, but I didn't wanted to posted it while I was still writing LOST HOPE. Since that one is nearing the end (hopefully), it's time to start a new one.